Push button panel cover



29, 1961 M. J. Dl CARLO 2,998,500

PUSH BUTTON PANEL COVER Filed Aug. 11, 1958 INVENTOR.

MARIO J. DI CARLO ATTOR NEYS ed See Patent 2,998,500 PUSH BUTTON PANEL COVER Mario J. Di Carlo, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Smith Kline & French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. '11, 1958, Ser. No. 154,443 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-168) This invention relates to a push button panel cover. The cover of this invention is of particular utility for use in connection with push button panels employed to control elevators of the self-service type.

In buildings employing a number of self-service type elevators, it is frequently desired to have a particular elevator make stops only at certain floors, particularly during rush hours. Thus, for example, it might be desirable to have one elevator only stop at the fourth and fifth floors when going up during the morning rush hour. The discipline of those employing this car is not such that the mere posting of instructions that the car should stop at only the fourth and fifth floors sufilces since the passengers will depress the pushbutton for the particular floor they desire even if it is other than the fourth or fifth floor. It is, of course, possible to have the elevator stop at only the fourth or fifth floors by means of programming electronic circuits, but such circuit changes are relatively expensive and require the presence of skilled electronic service personnel to make them.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a mechanical structure for accomplishing the desired result in the form of a panel cover. The panel cover of this invention is very effective for the intended purpose, is inexpensive to construct and can be very readily removed when different programming is desired, for example, when it is desired to permit the elevator to stop at any selected floor. It will readily be apparent that the desired programming can be accomplished in a simple mechanical way without the necessity for the employment of one skilled in the electronic art if the covers of this invention are employed.

The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent on reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a panel cover in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the panel cover of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the panel cover of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view partially broken away.

As shown in the drawings, a push button control panel 2 for an elevator has a series of push buttons 4 which pass through panel wall 5. Each push button 4 is mechanically connected by means schematically indicated at 6 to a solenoid 8 and a switch 10. When push button 4 is depressed it closes switch 10 which in turn closes the solenoid circuit including lines 12 and 14, and thus causing the solenoid 8 to be energized and to act to hold push button 4 in the inner position. Lines 12 and 14 are connected to terminals 16 and 18 respectively, which are further connected to other portions of the elevator control circuit (not shown). When the circuit to which terminals 16 and 18 are connected is deenergized, solenoid 8 will be deenergized and hence will move push'button 4 outwardly to its original position and open switch 10. All of the structure thus far described is conventional and merely exemplary of the large variety of push button con- Patented Aug. 29, 1961 trol panels for elevators, all of which have the feature with which this invention is particularly concerned, namely, a push button which is pushed inwardly to select a particular floor, the push button being held inwardly until some period after the elevator has stopped at the selected floor. Such push button control panels being Well-known in the art, it is not necessary to detail their structures further here.

A panel cover 20, in accordance with this invention, is provided with a front face 22, sides 24 and 26 and a top 28. Front face 22 has openings 30 and 32 which respectively overlie the push buttons 4 which are marked with the numerals 5 and 4. Openings 30 and 32 permit the elevator passenger to insert his finger so as to depress either the push button marked 5 or the push button marked 4. Since front face 22 overlies all of the other push buttons only those marked 4 and 5 can be selected. Hence, the cover precludes the elevator from stopping at any floor except floors four and five.

Each push button 4 has a circumferential groove 33. The push buttons 4 which are marked with the numerals 7, 3 and 6 have their grooves 33 respectively engaged by dowels 34, 36 and 38 which are welded to the inside of cover 20. The engagement of the dowels with the grooves 33 prevents the panel cover from being pulled outwardly away from the control panel. The top 28 of the panel cover rests on the uppermost push button 4 and hence prevents the cover from being moved downwardly. To prevent the cover from being raised upwardly, there is provided a projecting member 40 to which is pivotally secured a locking lever 42 by means of a knurled thumb screw 44 and a nut 46. Lever 42 is pivoted to a position below the lowermost push button 4 and then is secured in this position by means of the knurled thumb screw 44 and a nut 46.

From the above description it will be appreciated that the panel cover, in accordance with this invention, can be readily secured, and eliminates the necessity for complex electronic circuits to effect a programming of the elevator to a predetermined number of floors, for example, floors four and five, as illustrated in the description above. It will be evident that any desired combination of floors can be readily programmed by simply having on hand a number of panel covers in accordance with this invention having different combinations of openings.

It is not desired to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an elevator push button control panel, a panel cover comprising, a front member closely overlying a plurality of push buttons and having openings overlying a selected number of said push buttons less than the total number of said push buttons to provide for the manual operation of the selected number of push buttons, and means to removably secure said panel cover to said control panel.

2. An elevator push button control structure comprising: a push button control panel comprising push buttons, a plurality of said push buttons each having a circumferential groove and a panel cover comprising a front member overlying said push buttons, said front member having an opening overlying one of said push buttons to provide for the operation of said one push button, opposed sides integral with the front member, protuberances secured to said sides to engage a plurality of said grooves, and means to lock said cover against vertical movement.

3. An elevator push button control structure comprising: a push button control panel comprising push buttons, a plurality of said push buttons each having a circumferential groove and a panel cover comprising a front member overlying said push buttons, said front member having an opening overlying one of said push buttons to provide for the manual operation of said one push button, opposed sides integral with the front member, a top engaging the uppermost push button, protuberances secured to said sides to engage a plurality of said grooves,

member, a top engaging the uppermost push button, protuberances secured to said sides to engage a plurality of said grooves, and a lock member adapted to engage one of said push buttons to lock the panel cover against upand a lock member adapted to engage one of said push 5 ward movement.

buttons to lock the panel cover against upward movement.

4. An elevator push button control structure comprising: a push button control panel comprising push buttons, a plurality of said push buttons each having a circumferential groove and a panel cover comprising a front member overlying said push buttons, and front member having openings overlying a selected number of said push buttons to provide for the manual operation of said selected number of push buttons, opposed sides integral with the front References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS. 

